May 24, 2005 Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador One hundred students are gathering in Corner Brook to compete in both an enterprise showcase and business plan competition. Students from across the province will be competing with their peers this weekend as the 11th annual Enterprise Olympics conference kicks off. The conference is one part of the year-long Enterprise Olympics initiative, delivered by the St. John's YMCA-YWCA, which offers a number of entrepreneurship programs to different age groups. Students in grades four to six participate in the "Create A Logo" program; students in grades seven to nine participate in the "Market Your Thoughts" competition; and high school students participate in the Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union "Business Plan" and "Enterprise Showcase" competitions. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) provided $153,150 in funding support for the Enterprise Olympics program. Commenting on the initiative, the Honourable Gerry Byrne, MP for Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte, on behalf of the Honourable Joseph McGuire, Minister of ACOA, noted: "The Enterprise Olympics provides a very hands-on way for students to get involved in entrepreneurship and helps them develop a more entrepreneurial way of thinking. This is one of the ways that the Government of Canada is helping to cultivate an entrepreneurial culture among our youth, who will be the business leaders of tomorrow." During the conference in Corner Brook this weekend, 50 students will compete in the Enterprise Showcase, which simulates real life trade shows to encourage students to be more enterprising by recognizing and displaying their entrepreneurial achievements. Through the Business Plan Competition, 50 students will present and defend their business plans to an evaluation team of community and business leaders. "It is always exciting to see the talent, enthusiasm and ambition of students during Enterprise Olympics conferences," said Paul Dwyer, project manager of Enterprise Olympics with the St. John's YMCA-YWCA. "These students have worked hard to develop skills that will prepare them for the business world, and their involvement in the Enterprise Olympics has made them more aware of the opportunities and rewards of operating your own business." ACOA is providing funding for this initiative through the Young Entrepreneur Development Initiative (YEDI), a $15.6 million initiative targeting the development of entrepreneurship and business skills among Atlantic Canada's youth. It is one of three components of the Entrepreneurship and Business Skills Development program announced in October 2002, and will enable ACOA to invest in various youth entrepreneurship projects over the next four years. FOR BROADCAST USE ONLY: Students from across the province are gathering in Corner Brook this weekend to compete in the 11th annual Enterprise Olympics conference, which includes a provincial showcase and business plan competition for high school students. The conference is one part of the year-long Enterprise Olympics initiative, delivered by the St. John's YMCA-YWCA, which offers a number of entrepreneurship programs to different age groups. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) provided $153,150 in funding support for the Enterprise Olympics program. - 30 - Valérie Poulin Director of Communications Office of the Honourable Joseph McGuire Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (613) 941-7241 Doug Burgess Director, Public Affairs ACOA (709) 772-2935 Paul Dwyer Project Manager Enterprise Olympics St. John's YMCA-YWCA (709) 739-9933
